Hamilton: Engine deficit means Ferrari harder to catch
Lewis Hamilton says it will be harder for Mercedes to catch Ferrari if its Formula 1 rival has established an engine advantage than if it has a better chassis.

Mercedes has finished first and second in the opening two grands prix of the season, with Valtteri Bottas winning in Australia and Hamilton inheriting victory in Bahrain after Charles Leclerc's Ferrari suffered an engine problem.
However, Mercedes was left wary of Ferrari's straightline speed advantage in Bahrain, and has flagged it as a concern for this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix.
Asked if an engine deficit would be harder to catch up than on the chassis side, Hamilton said: "It is, I think.
"The engine side of things it's very, very hard to make big gains without taking risks, especially with the regulations that we have these days, with the small amount of engine and turbos. Those steps are harder to come by.
"I think it's probably a combination of a couple of things. But closing that gap on straightline speed, it's not something that you'll see close up particularly quickly."
Mercedes has been the dominant force in F1's V6 turbo-hybrid engine era, sweeping to title doubles every year since 2014.
Ferrari has developed a regular race-winning package over the past two seasons, though and Mercedes thinks it now has the edge.
Mercedes cited a multi-tenth advantage for Ferrari on the straights at the previous race, but is wary of how downforce levels could have influenced that.
"It seems like a big difference on the straights honestly," said Bottas. "That is how it was in Bahrain but it is only one track and there are different downforce levels, which affects [straightline speed] quite a lot.
"Making four tenths in terms of the power of the engine is very difficult to gain over one season. We will work as hard as we can but also not forgetting the other areas we still know with the car that we can still improve.
"It is still very early days in the season and especially with the new regs the cars performances are going to improve a lot."
Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff agreed that downforce levels could have been a big factor in Bahrain, where Sebastian Vettel had feared Ferrari might have no top-speed edge at all.
Wolff also said Ferrari deserved credit for whatever advantage it may establish.
"There was a massive engine power on the straight but it's not always engine power," he said when asked by Motorsport.com to elaborate on Hamilton's comments about catching an engine deficit.
"The drag levels are playing an important role in the calculation. This is something we need to evaluate. This morning [in FP1] there was a frightening lap of Sebastian again in straightline speed but it is what it is.
"We have to stretch ourselves and fight and extract performance out of the chassis and out of the power unit. Having a benchmark like that helps and motivates."
Additional reporting by Adam Cooper and Stuart Codling

Previous article
Practice points to titanic Ferrari vs Mercedes battle
Next article
F1 becoming "more of a hobby" for Raikkonen

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Drivers | Lewis Hamilton |
Teams | Mercedes |
Author | Scott Mitchell |
Hamilton: Engine deficit means Ferrari harder to catch
Trending
How Do Drivers Stay Fit For F1 Grand Prix?
Ronnie Peterson and Jochen Rindt Tribute
#ThinkingForward with Juan Pablo Montoya
The themes to watch in F1's Imola return
Three weeks is a long time in Formula 1, but in the reshaped start to the 2021 season the teams head to Imola to pick things up after the frenetic Bahrain opener. Here's what to look out for and the developments to follow at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
The 'new' F1 drivers who need to improve at Imola
After a pandemic-hit winter of seat-swapping, F1 kicked off its season with several new faces in town, other drivers adapting to new environments, and one making a much-anticipated comeback. Ben Anderson looks at who made the most of their opportunity and who needs to try harder…
The delay that quashed Aston Martin’s last F1 venture
Aston Martin’s only previous foray into Formula 1 in the late 1950s was a short-lived and unsuccessful affair. But it could have been so different, says Nigel Roebuck.
Verstappen exclusive: Why lack of titles won't hurt Red Bull's ace
Max Verstappen’s star quality in Formula 1 is clear. Now equipped with a Red Bull car that is, right now, the world title favourite and the experience to support his talent, could 2021 be the Dutchman’s year to topple the dominant force of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes?
Is Formula 1 as good as it has ever been now?
For many, many years Formula 1 has strived to do and to be better on all fronts. With close competition, a growing fanbase, a stable political landscape and rules in place to encourage sustainability, 2021 is on course to provide an unexpected peak
How Williams’ new structure adheres to a growing F1 trend
Williams held out against the tide for many years but, as MARK GALLAGHER explains, the age of the owner-manager is long gone
When a journeyman driver's F1 career lasted just 800m
Nikita Mazepin’s Formula 1 debut at the Bahrain Grand Prix lasted mere corners before he wiped himself out in a shunt, but his financial backing affords him a full season. Back in 1993 though, Marco Apicella was an F1 driver for just 800m before a first corner fracas ended his career. Here’s the story of his very short time at motorsport’s pinnacle.
How Raikkonen's rapid rise stalled his teammate's F1 career climb
Kimi Raikkonen's emergence as a Formula 1 star in his rookie campaign remains one of the legendary storylines from 2001, but his exploits had an unwanted impact on his Sauber teammate's own prospects. Twenty years on from his first F1 podium at the Brazilian GP, here's how Nick Heidfeld's career was chilled by the Iceman.